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Vanessa's Archives July 5 - 11 Vanessa Smith has been with Nettmedia since we began a few years ago and she worked at the Mother Corp (Nettwerk) for a year before that, so she knows her way around the ever expanding Nettwerk universe. Vanessa now does the video editing for Nettmedia's various projects. The Lilith Fair is her first tour and we'll see just how well she does with little sleep and no good coffee. Vanessa has the unfortunate distinction of being the best video editor amongst us which means that we have chained her to a computer in the back of the bus and are keeping her eyes open all day with toothpicks (remember when fred flintstone did that? that's where we got the idea from. if it's good enough for Hanna-Barbara it's good enough for us). One day soon she'll teach Cathy and Lane how to do it, but until then we have hidden the key. Ash is always shocked whenever he sees Vanessa off the bus. But he lets us know and we quickly send out security to bring her back. Recently Vanessa has been converted to a cat person (although she is also a dog person) and, as we're sure you'll read in her diaries, she misses the kittens dearly. Vanessa's time on the road has come to an end. Sad to say, dear Nessa went home on July 19. :-( | Vanessa's Tour Diary, July 12 - 18 Friday, July 18, 1997 Clarkston, MI Let's just jump back to Wednesday for a second...our day off in Akron. There is something very surreal about being dropped off in a town you've never been to, especially one that you would never pick as a vacation destination. Normally, I like to stay far and away from malls as much as possible, but when you're in Akron, Ohio for less than 24 hours, visiting the nearest mall to the hotel becomes the biggest highlight of the day. This tour could be dubbed the Malls of America Tour '97 -I think we should get a few t-shirts made up. And you know what? They are giving stuff away in Akron! Bargains, bargains, bargains, my friends. Shopping in Nowhere, USA is where it's at. What would look fabulously trendy in Manhattan, is deemed well, a bit "weird" and unsellable here, so those polyester skirts and shiny metallic burgundy tote bags go for dirt cheap (2 bucks!). I have had some of my most satisfying shopping experiences ever on this tour. Now I just have to figure out how to haul it back home... Tomorrow is my last day. Except for Cathy and Jana, the Nettmedia staff is on rotation, so there will be a new face popping up every couple of weeks or so. I've really enjoyed witnessing and documenting at least part of this tour that is more groundbreaking than probably anyone really realizes. I think it'll be fascinating to see how it develops over the next few years, and to see exactly what kind of impact it has on the industry. I have to admit though that I'm looking forward to being back home, sleeping in my own bed, and eating real food (not necessarily at the same time). New York City is a crazy place to live, but it's home now and I always miss it when I'm away, even if only for a few days. Luckily, Lane (my honey in case you haven't figured that one out yet) will be getting off in New York next weekend after the Jones Beach show, so we won't be playing phone tag for too long. And then there are our dear, sweet buddies, our cats Annie and Eudora. I've gone through quite the prolonged guilt trip leaving them for three weeks, but they've been in good hands and will hopefully remember me (or my pant leg) when I get back. I'm looking forward to hearing their initial pissed-off meows upon my return. If you're a cat person, you know exactly what I mean. When I get back, I plan to keep listening to all the great music I've been exposed to and have become a fan of over the last 2 weeks...September 67, Wild Colonials, Lauren Hoffamn, Cassandra Wilson, Tracy Bonham (especially Tracy!) and Fiona Apple are just a few of the artists that have crept into that finicky part of my brain that decides what kind of tunes I tend to gravitate towards. Something to look forward to for sure. |
